Have a little fun with wild and crazy predictions

I've never intentionally written a column or story for the purpose of feedback.

That doesn't mean I won't check the comments section on our website or listen to a voice mail in the office.

And let me tell you, some of the things said or emailed to me can't be printed in this space without this paper getting sued.

But I do enjoy hearing back from people.

A year ago, I wrote a very tongue-in-cheek column with some outrageous college football predictions.

I never really believed any would actually happen. I was trying to have a little fun.

This didn't sit well with one gentleman reader who didn't like my joking tone — or didn't really pick up on it.

Maybe that was my fault. Maybe I should've been clearer about my intentions of the column. Maybe I was too hard on his team in jest.

Whatever it was, he didn't like it.

So, this year, I'm going to make it quite clear that I'm about to deal out some not-so believable predictions.

First off, I'm no swami, and I own no crystal ball.

Outside of my annual (serious) column where I guess who's going to play in the SEC Championship Game (look for that Thursday), I typically don't make many brash predictions when it comes to any sport.

The only reason I came up with this idea in the first place is because I've never gotten over the 2007 season.

That was when LSU won the BCS championship with two losses, nobody could hold down the No. 2 ranking, and South Carolina started 6-1 but didn't even make a bowl game.

It was a wild and crazy year. And just in case this is going to be another one, here are some wild and crazy predictions (or are they?):

Marcus Lattimore bounces back stronger than ever from that nasty knee injury and wins the Heisman Trophy after a stellar season. Eerily, though, the Gamecocks fall below expectations, win eight games and lose in the Gator Bowl. That same thing happened when George Rogers won the Heisman for USC in 1980.

Clemson wins the Atlantic Division, just like last year, despite losses to Georgia Tech and N.C. State, just like last year. Clemson then loses a fourth consecutive rivalry contest against the Gamecocks, just like last year. The Tigers then lose the ACC title game against Virginia, leaving conspiracy theorists to say Clemson threw the game because memories of last year's 70-33 Orange Bowl loss were too much to handle, keeping the season from being complete déjà vu.

Georgia, despite being quite talented, doesn't handle adversity well. Remember all those guys suspended early in the season? Not having them costs the Bulldogs at Missouri, but somehow, they still limp into the SEC title game. And the final score is even worse than last year. This time, it's at the hands of Arkansas.

Wait, did I really just write Arkansas and not LSU or Alabama? Why not? This is supposed to be fun. The Razorbacks beat both the other powerhouses in the regular season, and John L. Smith leaves Atlanta a champion (I warned you I was going to stretch the imagination).

I won't stop the wildness there. For the first time in a half-dozen years, the SEC does not play in the BCS title game. It was close, but voters — and some believe even computers — still have a bad taste in their mouths after last year's Part II (and boring) game between LSU and Alabama.

In fact, no preseason top-10 team makes the final game. Instead, Michigan State and West Virginia play for all the marbles.

Remember, this was strictly for fun. And feel free to ignore the contact information below.